Escape Away
by Amadoni
Summary: Sequel to Escape. She wasn't safe at home. The feudal era caught up with her. But how was she going to cope if she didn't even remember who she was. Warnings will be posted when needed.
1. Chapter 1

_After some thought, I decided to do a sequel to "Escape." I'm not sure how far I'll go with this, but I have an idea of how it will end, which I think is important. _

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. and make absolutely no profit from this fanfiction.

**Prologue:**

The girl slowly began waking. The overall sense of grogginess still kept her mind clouded. As she began to gradually open her eyes, looking around the small, sterile hospital room, only one thought came to her mind, "Who am I?"

oOo

_Two months earlier_

Police responded to several 911 calls regarding loud disturbances at the Sunset Shrine. When the first set of officers walked up the numerous steps and finally came to the Higurashi private residence, the first policeman knocked on the door. While he continued to knock, the second officer, a female rookie, peeked through the windows.

She had only worked for the force about three weeks. She still felt like a bumbling idiot at times, but she was also getting better. It really was difficult to make the transition from theory and textbooks to hands-on application. It was while she was looking for the unusual that she noticed the interior wood floor was half-covered in…blood.

"J-J…Jack," she hoarsely whispered as she trembly pointed to the window.

"You noticed something, Mujitsu." He calmly responded. He expected her to be wary of anything out of the ordinary. What he didn't expect to see was what her demeanor confirmed. He had worked for the Tokyo P.D. for years. He knew that he hadn't seen it all, not that he wanted to. But he'd seen enough to know that there were a lot of sick bastards out in the world—some you'd never see coming.

This would be his first blood bath.

"Call for backup."

Mujitsu scrambled for her receiver and quickly made the call. As she did, Jack went for his Colt 45 and quietly made his way to the back. He knew that he should have waited for backup, but something in his mind told him that he need to move, now. He eventually made it to the open backdoor and, with gun ready, moved in.

Immediately, his gut feelings kicked in. He couldn't explain it, and he knew there was no way that he would write it in his report. But he knew that whatever occurred here was evil. The air was thick with a heaviness that gripped at his own spirit. There was nothing wrong with the air, but the atmosphere was so heavy that he found it difficult to breath.

He knew what this feeling was telling him. Growing up in a very religious family, he knew, but he wouldn't admit it. Just because he grew up with religion pounded into his head, didn't mean he would follow and believe it. He held on to what he knew was mentally tangible; he did his job.

When he passed the door and saw the middle-aged woman on the floor, he already knew she was dead. No one bleeds that much and lives. Still, he went over and checked her pulse—it was procedure after all. With nothing, gun held in front, he headed towards the living area. Careful not to step onto blood, he checked for pulses.

It was one thing to see an old man like this; but, his heart truly ached for the young boy. He had handled so many murders and accidents. However, no matter the situation, seeing a dead child always seemed to get to him. It was the idealistic side of him; children should not have to get hurt, children should not have to feel pain, children shouldn't have to die, especially like this. Like the older man, the boy had a slice across his throat. The cut wasn't clean across to bleed out his jugulars; the cut was made so that no one would have heard him scream.

The rest of him looked like someone broke all his major joints into disfiguring directions, then cut up his body with some type of hand rake, and finally put him out of his misery by taking his heart out. Through all this, the sick bastard had left their faces untouched. Some other sickening thoughts crossed his mind, how did the sicko get the heart out and where were the hearts?

Jack wasn't a coward, but he now knew that he should have waited for backup. He didn't want to find the fucker and take him down on his own—if he could even take him/it/ whatever down.

As he slowly backed away, he had that some sense to keep looking for something, something important. His internal dilemma continued to gnaw at him. Should he go back or continue on? The choice was made for him when he noticed the curve of what appeared to either be an upper arm or thigh from upstairs. He didn't know why, but he lowered his weapon and sped up the stairs.

Naked, clawed up, bite marks, and bleeding out of open wounds, he assumed the girl was dead too. He kneeled down and gently pushed her silky black hair behind her ear. Looking intently at her doll-like face, he saw that she was barely a woman. He wasn't an idiot; he knew what had most likely happened to her.

And he swore that he was going to find the bastard and see him brought to justice. Justice held a different definition for Jack. Yes, the man would definitely see jail. But Jack would call his connections to make sure the bastards life would be hell behind bars and maybe, just maybe, after a few months of hell, he would use those connections to get him killed.

Jake wasn't the hero of the story. He just believed in a more absolute sense of justice—maybe his upbringing had more of an effect than he first believed it to be.

Out of a sense of respect, he wanted badly to cover the girl's naked body, but he had to make sure Crime Scene had the proper evidence—his jacket wouldn't be it. He gently laid his fingers on the girl's pulse point and expected nothing. Nothing was, in fact, far from what he actually got. Christ, the girl was still alive!!

oOo

_There you have it. What do you think? Reviews are most welcomed. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha and Co, nor do I make any profit from this fanfiction.

**Chapter One: The Fully Empty Girl**

"Who am I?"

No, it wasn't a philosophical life discovery question running through the girl's mind. She really didn't know who she was. However, that wasn't to say she didn't know anything. She knew she was in a hospital room. Therefore, she knew the where. Looking at her wrist band, she saw her name was Kagome Higurashi. Now she had to figure out the what, how, and why. And she had the sick sense that those questions wouldn't come easy.

Looking down at herself, she could tell that she had been here for awhile. I mean she couldn't imagine allowing her legs to be that hairy or her nails to be that long and dingy. Her muscles felt atrophied from lack of use, which made getting out of bed all the more difficult. With an IV stuck in her arm, EKG lines, and other unmentionable tubing, she found it unlikely that she could leave the room without some help.

'And I thought starting with a clean slate was a good thing,' she thought dryly.

Breaking from her internal musings, the girl heard the door open and footsteps to follow. A middle-aged nurse walked in completely unaware that the patient was very much awake. Hair in a tight bun, black scrubs, clip board in hand, the older woman was startled out of reading vital signs when the know-nothing girl spoke.

"Hello," she hoarsed out.

Immediately, the nurse dropped her clip board and stared wide-eyed at the non-comatose girl. The woman couldn't believe it. I mean the girl had been in ICU for over two months and showed absolutely no signs of coming out of coma. She seen her medical records and overheard what the detectives said. As patient and nurse observed the other, the woman wondered if it was a good thing that this poor girl was awake now. Because eventually, someone had to tell the girl her trauma was far from over.

"Y-your awake, that's wonderful…how do feel. Are you in any pain," she spoke slightly above a whisper.

"Fine, I guess—no pain…I'm rather thirsty though. Um, could you tell me what's going on?"

"I'll answer your questions in a moment. But I need to make sure that your fine. Here's some water."

"Arigato."

The woman picked up her fallen clip board and began taking some notes.

"Could you tell me your name?"

"Kagome Higurashi, though I kinda figured that out from the name band."

"I see…Could you tell me the year."

"2007?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"In a hospital, that's about it."

"Do you know why you are here?"

"No."

"I see…what is the last thing that you remember, Miss Higurashi?"

After a slight pause, Kagome decided to be completely honest, "that's just it. I don't remember anything other than waking up in this room."

With that said, Kagome began to realize the reality of the situation. She didn't know who she was. No memories. If that wasn't terrifying enough, another thought came to mind why was she here and who could she really trust when she couldn't tell friend from enemy. To soothe her mind some, she concluded that she had to have a little faith and hope that everything was going to work out…maybe.

While Kagome was considering this, the nurse took a few more notes, double checked her vitals, and told the girl that she was going to get the doctor. Kagome tried her best to remain as calm as possible. She wouldn't allow herself to start freaking out now. She took a few deep breaths and thought to herself,

'It's going to be ok. It's going to be ok…'

A cold shudder ran through her spine as a prick in the back of her mind made her feel that the words held more of a danger than the truth. Frustrated, she couldn't figure out exactly why there would be danger. As she continued to focus on her mental struggle, she didn't here the doctor and nurse come in and was slightly surprised when a commanding voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Miss Higurashi, I'm Doctor Taizen. I'll be part of the team in getting you better. From what I've heard from the nurse, you don't remember anything before today?"

The man was rather short and stalky. With beady eyes and wispy, grey hair on the sides of his head, he seemed more appropriate as a crab man than a doctor. Still, despite the man's oddities, he seemed genuinely concerned for the girl. And the truth of the matter was that he was. The girl had obviously been through physical and psychological hell. He wasn't surprised at all that she had a case of amnesia.

"Yes, I don't remember. Could you tell me, doctor?"

"The answers will come in time dear. Trust me. Right now let us make sure that your health is good, ok."

Kagome nodded and allowed him to do his job. After several hours of poking, prodding, and other tests, she was finally able to move freely out of bed. Of course, they gave her specific instruction to not over exert herself and stay in a wheel chair. Feeling how weak her muscles were, Kagome didn't make a fuss over it.

After discovering that the hospital, International Catholic Hospital she later found out, had a garden located near her room, she, well, wheeled over there. She didn't know much about herself, but she knew that she'd rather be outdoors. Finally making it to her destination of flowers, birds, ponds, and trees, she couldn't help but feel relaxed.

Closing her eyes, focusing on the sounds, it all seemed so familiar like the feel of silk just before you completely touch it. She was really annoyed with this feeling but chose to accept it instead of further frustrate herself.

"Miss Higurashi," came a voice from behind. Immediately, she felt like she knew this voice, this calm, soothing, reassuring voice. Finally, something remembered, something to hold onto.

oOo

_So, who could it be. Hmm, I guess you'll have to wait and find out. Until then, reviews are much appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha and Co., nor do I make any profit from this fanfiction.

**Chapter Two: The Unforgettable Nothing**

"I know you; don't I," Kagome stated with more certainty than people would have expected.

Surprise showed deeply on the man's face, he expected the young woman to be completely detached from the world. He still carried the memory of when he first met her, or to be exact, found her. In truth, they never did actually meet. However, he assessed why she would more than likely say such things.

As Kagome turned around to find the one attached to the familiar, she then was utterly surprised. To say the tall gentleman was good looking would be an understatement, he was, well, fucking gorgeous and exotic to say the least.

His short-tapered hair was the purest white, which contrasted deeply with everyone else she has seen today. His almond-shaped eyes held the lightest brown that it could have easily been mistaken for gold. He was pale, yes, but not too pale.

Though he wore a suit, she could still tell that he was rather well built. After realizing that enough time had past to conclude that she was passed observing and practically gawking, she quickly lowered her head, which was red with embarrassment.

This response wasn't new to the man—though he rather did enjoy it coming from her. He saw that many of the wounds on her legs and arms had healed rather nicely. If you didn't know what you were looking for, you wouldn't have even noticed.

He secretly hoped that the rest of her followed the same suit. But he squashed that mental musing, berating himself of even considering. The girl didn't need someone to ogle her; she needed a friend, and he was the closest thing to that at the moment. Yet, despite this fact, he found Kagome's cerulean eyes a pleasant surprise, considering she was full Japanese.

'You learn something new everyday,' he mused. Now, he too caught himself starring too long and looked away. After finding his voice, he cleared his voice and said,

"Not exactly. But I would imagine that my voice would sound familiar to you."

She nodded in agreement, and he continued.

"Well, to begin, my name is Detective Genjuu-jin, and I'm one of the detectives working on your case."

Kagome listened intently to his voice. She, however, was very confused.

"What is the case about?"

He approached her and sat on the bench beside her. He was considering how much he should actually tell the young woman. He already had spoken with her doctor as well as two of the specialists, both had agreed to tell her some of the broader details; however, Doctor Taizen spoke against telling her anything at all and recommended that she regain her memories naturally.

He had only been a detective for a month and a half. He still had much to learn. One of the main reasons he was allowed to work on a case like this was his involvement. First, he found the girl. Second, he continually researched possible suspects buy using every source he had. And third, he made more progress than any other officer in the force thus far.

Therefore, when he passed the detective exams, it only seemed logical for him to continue in a more active and authoritative role on this case. Still, this situation wasn't on the exam. He could tell her everything and risk having Kagome fall back into coma. He could tell her the broad generalizations. Or he could tell her nothing, thereby ensuring her complete emotional and mental safety.

From a different perspective, however, he still had to do his job, which was most important to him. After all, despite how he felt, he had to remain detached and consider this woman another victim to the many cases piling on his desk.

He made his decision.

"Miss Higurashi, as of this moment, to divulge in the specifics of the case would only lead to more questions than answers for you. From what I gather, you want answers. What I can tell you is far from pleasant, in fact it's horrible. However, if you wish for a general understanding of what has occurred in your resent life, I am willing to tell you."

Kagome took a few deep breaths. Ok, so it was bad, no 'horrible.' But what could possibly be more horrible than knowing absolutely nothing—learning something unforgettable. Well, she was going to find out eventually, might as well be now.

"Y-yes, I'd like to at least know something," she stuttered.

Looking intently at her eyes, he proceeded with the major facts.

"Your name, of course, is Kagome Higurashi. You were born in November of 1988, making you 18 soon to be 19," he paused to see if there was any glimmer of recognition in her eyes but saw nothing, "you grew up and lived at the Sunset Shrine, here in Tokyo. Your mother's name is Hitomi, and your father's name is Yuki. Your brother's name is Souta. And your grandfather's name is—"

"Their all dead," she interrupted, after all why else wouldn't they be here right now.

"Yes."

"Killed?"

"Yes."

"And I survived."

He nodded, amazed that she caught on quickly. However, he didn't want their first conversation to go straight to the details; he chose to end this line of conversation quickly.

"It would be wise to discuss the details at a latter time; however, does any of this jog your memory?"

She smiled at him. What could she say, yes, and now let's move on. No, that wouldn't be the truth.

"Though it saddens me that people are dead, Detective Genjuu-jin, it is not people that I can remember and mourn for."

He understood her meaning. She may not have her memories; but, he could already tell that she was a kind and honest person. He began to seethe inside of the injustice done to her. After two months of no leads, he really was going to torture the bastard once he found him. And oh, he will find them. He always could track someone down, eventually. He just needed to remain patient and wait for him to make a mistake.

His pager went off at that particular moment. He couldn't ignore this call. He gave his condolences and left.

oOo

_Already working on the next chapter. As usual, reviews are helpful._


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: If you don't want to read about sex, then skip the beginning until you get to "oOo" symbol close to the bottom. BTW, this is a rather dark chapter.**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Inuyasha, ok. Haven't you figured that out yet. I do this for free, he he.

_Note: So like, um, yah. This chapter is going to be a little on the abstract side, but bare with me._

**Chapter Three: The Truly Real Night Horse**

Heat.

Hot.

Touch.

Sweat.

Slick.

Shudder.

Breathe.

More.

Move.

Faster.

Close.

Higher.

Power.

Almost.

Coil.

Stretch.

Tight.

More….

Kagome felt herself enveloped in blissful heat inside and out. Someone was above her, faceless. The cool grass below her, soothing. Ever present, overpowering her, overwhelming her, she could feel it…feel….feel him move inside her. So hot, so much, she felt alive, she felt hot, she felt intense. And she wanted more. More of this feeling, of this moment, she focused, bringing herself deeper into the moment.

Skin on skin, slick with sweat. She wanted to see through this darkness, but her mind only focused on touch. Large calloused hands glided over her breast, while the other felt touch, felt sharp teeth suckle the other, sending euphoric shivers to overwhelming. And there was more. He moved within her, gently, intently, creating a deliciously powerful ache in the center of her being. She wanted to speak out. Tell him, 'faster.' But she was too overwhelmed for words.

Hands on broad shoulders, muscles rippling under her touch. He pressed her knees against her breast and went faster. She opened her mouth to cry out but soon felt his mouth, his taste. Intense, demanding as she, he went deeper still, pushing onward. The ache was so much worse, so much better. Could she die from too much?

Further and further she tumbled, the darkness fading. He smelled familiar; he smelled good like forest trees, like smoked wood, like nothing else. So familiar, she struggles deeper still and into the light. The ache was ending, the ending so close. And then tearing through her soul, brightness filling her eyes, screaming for all to hear, she came and heard the roar of the other.

Starlight clearing, now seeing, still within her, she saw him. She doesn't know, but she knows, knows him. Content. Love is his eyes…his warm amber eyes. Hair like snow, soft like silk….ears on top? Oh well, not so strange, she knew him. Dream….no, no a memory, my own memory.

He caressed her face and then nuzzled her neck with more affection than she knew him possible. This moment, she knew it. This was her moment of eternal bliss, happiness. No evil could prevail here.

He lifted her up to straddle his lap, still held within and hard again, continually kissing her mouth, face, and neck and tasting her breasts as one starved. She felt devoured, and she loved it. Eyes closed she savored his touch, his taste, his overwhelming presence. They began again.

He lay down with her above. Holding onto her hips with his clawed hands, guiding her movements, she moved, grabbing him tightly. Her breasts continued to move up and down with her efforts. She continued. He moved his hand between her legs. Finding his prize, he moved his fingers vigorously over her jewel.

Kagome was nearly coming undone. She kept her gaze on him, and then kissed him. She could feel the ache again, coming faster, harder. Oh, Kami, she wanted this forever.

Almost. So close. But then…

She felt slammed against a very unforgiving wall. Claws digging into her thighs. The ache was worse, horrible, and yet she still felt like she was coming. The bliss had clearly dissipated and only left cold, hard terror in its wake.

A blazing hot rod of steel pistoned inside her. So much larger, it hurt. She felt stretched too much. What was worse was that she couldn't brace for it. She had no time to prepare.

Pain, pain, pain, so much pain was felt in every single nerve of her body. Yet, her body continued towards her coming. Fierce, clawed hands ripped at her, touched her in ways that made her feel dirty, used, and broken. Fangs came down on her nipping, biting, gnawing at her sensitive, burning flesh.

She tried to push against this…this monster; but, he was too powerful and impossible to move. All she could do was scream and scream and scream. Even then, the nightmare continued—a nightmare which was all too real.

Pain, pain, pain….

oOo

"Kagome, Kagome, wake up!!"

She felt herself being shaken. Yet she still felt herself trying to fight out of this dream-like haze. Her eyes shot open and were met by cold, hateful golden ones. She screamed again—clawing at her captor with everything in her.

"Kagome, Kagome stop, stop. It's me, Detective Genjuu-jin!!!" He tried to grab her hands to prevent her from hurting herself; but, all it got him were some very nasty scratch marks on his hand and harms. He finally did the only think he could think of which was grabbing her face and kiss her.

That got her attention.

To say that Kagome was shocked would never come to fully explain what she felt. She went from utter pain to being gently kissed. When she finally got her bearings, she realized who it really was.

He slowly let her go; he wasn't certain what he was going to say, but that didn't matter. As soon as he let her go and returned to his chair next to the bed, the room became packed with doctors and nurses. Kagome became too distracted by pen lights, vital machines, and questions to confront the detective about what he did.

Luckily for the detective, he used that opportunity to leave the room.

Oddly enough, he went to the hospital to check up on her. He was rather displeased with how he left things last time that they had spoken. While he was away, he had taken the time to get some of Kagome's family pictures in hopes that it would jog her memory somehow.

When he got to the hospital, he obviously got more than what he bargained for. How the hell was he going to explain this one. Ever since he met this girl, he's been every code of conduct he ingrained into himself. Damn, he smiled, it really does come down to the women.

oOo

_Ok, so I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I'd rather move on than dwell on it. As always, review away please. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha nor make any profit from this fanfiction. I do not own or profit from the works of Robert Frost, though I would have liked to have met the elusive gentleman.

**Chapter Four: The Pauper's Gold**

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;  
Then took the other, as just as fair,  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,  
And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
I doubted if I should ever come back.  
I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference._

_--The Road Not Taken_ by Robert Frost

"Why did you kiss me?" She finally said after the long paused stare that she gave him.

He knew that he would have to give the poor woman an explanation, regardless of how illogical that it would sound. Sadly, he couldn't come up with much of anything.

"I apologize, Miss Higurashi, for my inappropriateness. It will never happen again," he bowed. The sound of the small pond falls continued to flow in the background. A pair of skylarks perched in a nearby tree paying no mind to the uncomfortable tension between the two. "You were having a nightmare, even awake you didn't snap out of it, so I thought that maybe if I gave a slight shock…well, you know, right?"

He hated fumbling with his words. He always took the time to use the most effective of words. Except now, he felt awkward and foreign. He hadn't felt so out of place since his adolescents, and that was an experience he would much rather forget.

Kagome watched him intently. She was still couldn't use her muscle properly, but she did manage to sit on the bench next to the koi pond. Kagome could tell he wasn't trying to take advantage of her, that he didn't plan what happened. In some way, she found that small bit of understanding and compassion to move past the event. Still, she was definitely going to have fun with it.

"Well, if your gonna kiss someone, you might as well give them your full name, detective," she quipped with a mischief grin, "And second, you owe me."

"Owe you?"

"Yes, I'd feel much less traumatized by the event if I had some answers…about you."

He stared at her in disbelief. Was this blackmail of the innocent kind, if there even was such a thing? Still, if this was the way for him to apologize, he would take the offer. After all, he really didn't consider himself that interesting of a person.

'So she was kind, compassionate, and, well, immature,' he thought to himself.

He'd play her game. He narrowed the gap between them and took a seat next to her.

"Proceed, Miss Higurashi," he commanded.

"Full Name please, nicknames and all," she said sarcastically.

"Shoukin Genjuu-jin, but my colleagues call me Jack."

"You know I'm gonna ask about the story behind the nickname right? You might as well just go with it."

He sighed; he did agree to this after all. "They call my Jack in reference to the term Full Metal Jacket, or a bullet proof vest as you would call it. When I first began serving in the force, my partner and myself answered a call to a home robbery. He took the front; I took the back. Unfortunately, I ended up confronting the assailants.

"Instead of surrendering, the man decided to pull out his gun and fire. I assure you not a wise move, but the man was currently on a cocktail of street drugs, thereby inhibiting his sense of reason. Though I was quick enough to return fire, He shot me twice in the chest close to my heart and three times in my left forearm.

"He immediately died, of course. Luckily for me, I had the vest on, or I would have died. Interestingly enough, I almost lost my arm instead. To this day, I have very little feeling past my mid-forearm. They figured Jack would be fitting, since the name is also American."

"I knew it; you're _haafu_," she exclaimed in triumph.

He snorted at the remark, "For someone who can't remember people, you certainly remembered that. Yes, I'm only half-Japanese. My father was an American general who served at the naval base here in Tokyo. My mother comes from a very old family located in Kyoto.

"And I'm sure that you wanted to know how they met," he paused, "My father was Catholic, which isn't a surprise considering that he was American. Oddly enough, my mother is the less than 1 of native Japanese who follow those beliefs. In short, they met at Mass on base."

Shoukin, or Jack, sat there silent for the longest time. Kagome got the feeling that she shouldn't ask more about it. Based on the deep furrow on his brow, she figured it was probably a sore subject. So, she decided to have one of her other curiosities answered.

"I like your name. It has character. Why were you named 'Redemption' though?"

He looked at her and laughed. He hated the name. It always made him feel like he was carrying an overwhelming nameless burden. That burden only lessened when he cut ties with his family—which of course cost him his name and inheritance. But that didn't matter, he was free.

"Honestly, I don't know. My mother never told me."

"Oh, I see. Ok, next question. And this is entirely for my benefit. Why does your voice sound so familiar?"

His nonchalant attitude quickly disappeared when she said that. He thought that she had forgotten about that. Well, he might as well tell her the truth.

"I'll tell you provided you let me finish," she nodded and he continued, "I would come visit you while you were in a coma and read, well…poetry to you, mostly American ones. I found them soothing, so I thought that it would help you. Of course, the doctors said that you wouldn't be able to hear, but I still came. Obviously, on some subconscious level, you did hear."

He paused and looked for her reactions. Seeing that she didn't seem upset given the huge grin on her face, he continued further.

"You were alone in that hospital room. It didn't seem right to leave you in some forgotten corner of the world."

She nodded her appreciation for his thoughtfulness and decided that she wouldn't badger him over it.

"Who is your favorite poet?"

"Easily, Robert Frost, probably because my father would read him to me as a child"

"Tell me one."

"Now?"

"Of course, when else, but now."

"Very well," he sighed again,

"_In going from room to room in the dark,  
I reached out blindly to save my face,  
But neglected, however lightly, to lace  
My fingers and close my arms in an arc.  
A slim door got in past my guard,  
And hit me a blow in the head so hard  
I had my native simile jarred.  
So people and things don't pair any more  
With what they used to pair with before."_

"That's beautiful, what's it called?"

"The Door in the Dark."

They both stared at the other, neither of them certain to make out this feeling. Did they know each other, even though they never had met before? They turned closer towards each other. As this happened, Kagome's out robe loosen just a bit to reveal more of her slender neck, to reveal that which cannot heal.

"Kagome-kun, why hasn't this healed," he questioned while pointing to the punctured mark on the base of her neck by her left shoulder.

"I don't know," she tried to cover it but was immediately stopped when Shoukin gently grabbed her wrist and touched the mark.

Immediately when he touched it, a slight sizzle of power pushed back his hand. He could have sworn it glowed pink for a moment but was to busy pulling his pained hand back to think more of it.

Kagome took notice of the strange contact right away. She didn't see his hand, but she was almost certain his eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments.

Both felt mixed with uncertainty on what to make of the moment. Silence continued.

"What was that," she finally said.

More confused now, he responded, "I have no idea."

oOo

_Ok, so it was a rather long chapter, but I had a lot of important thinks to put in. I wonder what that power on contact was all about….I guess if you want to find out, you should review. Unless you want to wait forever for me to finish this fic, he he he. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or profit from Inuyasha and its characters.

**Chapter Five: The Righteous Evil**

Feeling completely awkward again, Jack left the hospital after escorting Kagome back to her new, private room. He asked whatever god was out there that at least the ride home would be uneventful. No calls, no pages, and no strange girls that sparked, well, pink…that's it! It was official. Detective Genjuu-jin was either losing his mind or needed to sleep.

He voted for sleep when he realized the last time he slept was on Tuesday, 23 hours ago to be exact. If he went straight to bed now, he'd be able to have a few hours rest before heading to work early in the morning.

As always, there were advantages to not having a girl friend, wife, or, um, significant other to deal with—too much drama. He, then, realized he actually missed some of that banter. Granted, he didn't have the time for that. But he still remembered a time when he almost did have the time.

As he was driving pass the streets and cars, he stopped at a red light intersection. One thing that he always hated is that he remembered things well—the blessings of a photographic memory they called it.

'_Shoukin, it's ok….I know you tried……'_

It wasn't love, maybe kindred spirits.

'_Sometimes, oddly…even now, I wonder if you could have loved me, Shoukin…'_

He felt rage for the first time back then.

'_I'm happy, now, Shoukin. Now…Now, I am….free….'_

Aori always said his name like a prayer. He never met anyone more miserable than himself. Of course, she showed it; he never did. He met her when he first moved to Kyoto with his mother. She always had her hair adorned in some exotic up-do. And she was as she put it the 'queen of accessorizing.' It's amazing some of the silly things teenagers hold as important.

She was a traditional beauty, and aside from her accessories, she appeared a traditional Japanese girl as well. He assumed then that she came from a traditional family.

He didn't realize it, but now Jack was grabbing the steering wheel rather tightly.

'_Good day, Shoukin-kun,' she said with the sweetness of golden honey._

'_Good day,' responded the young stoic adolescent. _

'_Shoukin-kun, you still haven't flown a kite with me, you promised,' she said with quivering lips._

'_I promised no such thing,' he stated, 'why must you insist on such frivolous pursuits?'_

'_Nothing is frivolous if you remember it, Shoukin-kun,' she responded with a somber tone that spoke more about memories than kites. _

"Perhaps, you were right…Aori," he barely spoke.

HONK!! HONK!! HONK!!

He drove forward, giving his apology to the driver behind him. He really needed to get to bed.

oOo

Showered and ready, he crashed into fitful dreams and restless sleep.

'_Were did you get that bruise, Aori, and don't you DARE tell me you fell again!'_

'_Shoukin-kun, you're hurting my wrist. Please, let go.'_

'_Not until you tell me…now.'_

_Aori began to tremble against him. When she tried to move away, Shoukin only held her against him tighter. It was then that she began to sob. _

'_I can't tell you.'_

'_Why not.'_

'_B-because you'll die too…like, like mother.'_

'_Aori, look at me. Whatever you tell me right now, I'll keep between us.'_

_She looked at him with hope filled eyes; she looked up at her new savior. _

Over a period of months, Aori opened up more and more to him. He learned several things, most that he wished he didn't know. First, she didn't come from a traditional family. Her father was head of the Abijigoku crime ring. They were one of the oldest crime rings in most of eastern Japan. Heroin, opium, and LSD were just a few of there 'exports.'

If anyone ever snitched on them, well, no one did snitch. It always remained an 'if' statement. But Shoukin learned differently, Aori's mother tried to get Aori and herself out and to the authorities. Problem was that Abijigoku had infiltrated so many levels of the provincial government; therefore, Aori's mother was basically killed before she even made it to the local precinct.

The medical examiner concluded that it was a suicide—a suicide that involved over 15 stab wounds, of course, but that minor detail was left out.

Soon after her mother died, Aori took on some of her mother's duties, especially after she grew breasts. She didn't have to go into detail for Shoukin to figure that part out.

Shoukin kept his word. What else was he supposed to do. He was barely sixteen.

She would banter about many things. And they would do many things.

One day they would simply enjoy the tea garden.

'_Your family's garden is very peaceful, Shoukin-kun.'_

'_It is acceptable, yes.'_

'_Oh, come now, can you please snap out of your constipated stupor!!'_

'_You will refrain from using that word, Aori.'_

One day they would sit in his family's main house reading poetry.

'_Why do you like reading American poetry?'_

'_No reason.'_

'_It's because of your father; isn't it?'_

'_I do not wish to speak of him.'_

'_Your angry with him aren't you…holding it inside.'_

One day he taught her how to use the katanna.

'_You are still not holding it properly, Aori.'_

'_Well, excuse me for not being perfect like you.'_

One day she taught him how to make an Origami.

'_Come now, you know you want to.'_

'_I believe that they specified 1000 paper cranes, because no one was insane enough to complete the task.'_

Finally, one day, she coaxed him into flying kites.

'_Can you feel it, Shoukin? Can you feel the wind…?'_

'_If you insist on twirling around like that, you will fall and hurt yourself. I'd rather not carry you, Aori.'_

'_Fine, I'll hold the kite, and you can twirl.'_

And then one day, her father found out that Shoukin knew the 'family secret.' Shoukin knew this because he walked in on Makai beating his daughter blood and raw. And that is when Shoukin lost control and killed the man. That day, a new 'family secret' was formed.

But Shoukin was too late. She died anyways. Maybe she became the reason he vowed 'to protect and to serve.'

Most of his family never blamed him, especially when they found out that it was THE Makai, leader of the Abijigoku. Even to this day, he still kept Aori's other secrets.

'_Tell me, son, why did you kill the man.'_

'_We've gone through this mother. I will not go through it again.'_

'_Have you, have you really told us, me, why. Or did you simply use it as an excuse.'_

'_Have you, have you always seen me as a monster, mother. And you're just using this as an excuse.'_

'_You may have considered you actions righteous, Shoukin. But I know the truth that they were nothing short of pure intentional evil. I can see it, Shoukin. The way your eyes will light up when you practice in the dojo, when you defeat an opponent, when you saw that whore your father—'_

'_Never speak about my father!!'_

'_Fine, son, but let me ask you this…Did you enjoy killing the man. I know the answer; do you.'_

And the truth was that he did.

oOo

_**Abijigoku:** the eighth and most painful part of hell in Buddhism  
**Aori:** influence; gust (of wind)  
**Makai:** hell; world of spirits_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or profit from Inuyasha and its characters.

**Chapter Six: The Silent Crescendo**

"Miss Higurashi."

"Yes, Doctor….?"

"Doctor Taizen, from when you first woke up."

"Right, don't worry, I remember your face; I just forgot your name."

"You wouldn't be the first. Yes, but the reason I'm here is to discuss your condition with you. The medical team and I believe that it's time for you to know some important things. I know that it has been only a few days since you've awoken, but, by law, there are things that can no longer be put off."

"Ok, this sounds serious. Um, is it ok if you call Shou—I mean Detective Genjuu-jin first? He's like the only person I kinda know right now, and I don't think I want to hear this alone."

"Of course, absolutely, we'll call him right now. I'll be back when he gets here."

"Thank you, doctor."

Kagome rose to her feet and slowly walked to the chair by the window. The morning sun shined warmly into her room, taking the sterilized chill out of the confined air. She learned something else about herself. She didn't like hospital rooms.

She really wanted Jack to get here soon. She was rather anxious to know what the doctor was going to say, but by the look on his face, she wasn't sure if it was good or bad news. Why do people who work in hospitals always wear such a neutral face; it's annoying. Little time passed, however, before one of the nurses walked into Kagome's room.

"So, you've heard I take it? Don't worry. This is completely your choice on what you want to do. But just so you know, we have counselors, chaplains, and other specialists available for any advice you need," the nurse calmly stated.

"Advice," she asked, wondering where the nurse was going on about.

"You know for—"

oOo

"Hey Jack, you look like shit. Did you get any sleep last night," his partner gleefully stated as if the man didn't have a bad morning in his life.

Jack sometimes had to wonder if his partner was on Valium. I mean really what normal person, no male, greeted everybody like he never looked at a case file in his life. Not to say that Jack didn't like his job. He did, but like the normal people, you couldn't help but get depressed from time to time.

Eying his partner again, a smile plastered on the guys face, yes, had to be valium…with some designer drug in the mix. Unfortunately, Jack was still the new guy; he was going to be stuck with this colorful individual until he gained more experience. At least, Saiko did his part of the job. And Jack even had to admit that he could look at a crime scene in several different perspectives. He was a good analyst, if nothing else. Still, that left Jack with much of the paper work. Nobody liked paperwork.

Though the man was about Jack's age, he looked to be just out of high school. He was tall but, unfortunately, he ended up looking like a bean pole with a mop of black hair on top. That isn't to say Saiko couldn't defend himself.

You shouldn't size up your opponent based on just how they looked. The guy was a second degree black belt. Even with that, luckily for Jack, his partner would have a lot of trouble taking him out. Jack had a more classical training in the arts of defense after all. Something that Saiko would only dream about.

"As if waking up to you would make me feel any better."

"Oh, come on buddy, you know I'm just screwing with you. Oh, before I forget, Crime Scene called. They still haven't been able to identify the white hair we found in the Higurashi case."

"What, they've had those samples for months now. What is the hold up?"

"Funny thing, they had to send out the sample oversees. Some place in Europe I think. Anyways, they narrowed it down to….well….," Saiko didn't really know how to put it since it didn't make sense to him either.

"Well…I do believe that you are quite capable of finishing sentences by now Saiko, so continue," Jack said while giving him half a smirk.

"Well, they narrowed it down by DNA. First, it's not human, but, well, here's the funny part, it's not from any known animal out there," he finally spat out, squinting his eyes slightly to see what his partner would say.

"Interesting….basically, we still have nothing," he sighed. He could already feel a headache coming on, and it was only 8 a.m.

"What, I tell you the most sci-fi crap I've heard lately, and you say 'interesting?'"

"What else can be said. We move on and find something we can actually use."

"Well, 'interesting' that you should say that, because I was thinking about the hair samples. And here's something no one has considered," Saiko waited for his partner to actually ask him to continue. He loved messing with this guy.

Jack knew exactly what his partner was doing. He had to wonder what god found such humor in his situation.

"Please continue, detective," the sarcasm not lost on Saiko.

"We might not know what the sample is from, but I could tell you where the largest amount of the samples was retrieved—which makes this even more odd….It wasn't in the private residence, the victims, or in the shrine itself. The largest amounts came from the dry well house in the back. Strange, huh?"

Now that got Jack's attention. The taller man raised a slender eyebrow at his partner and said,

"We should go back to the scene, to that well house, see if we missed something."

"Totally in agreement with you, buddy. Let's role."

When Jack and his partner finally got up the several steps passed the shrine and to the well house, they stopped in front of the entrance to the beat up shack.

Gloves on, Jack opened the door and immediately a chilling gust of stale air hit him straight in the face. It would have given a shock to anyone's system given the fact to how warm the day already was, but that's not what got Jack. He had the uncanny sense of complete and utter Déjà vu.

_It was night. There was no moon. It could have been dark except lightning was flashing in the sky. Jack looked down at himself only to see that his clothes were no longer the usual suits he wore but white silk, a purple and gold obi, and…and the hilt of a sword. He's seen that design before, somewhere. But where?_

A hand touched his shoulder bringing Jack out of the semi-trance state he was in.

"You ok, Jack; you blanked out there for a second."

"I'm fine." _Actually, no I'm not, but anything to get you to not make a big deal out of whatever that was._

"As I was saying, we got a call from the station. That girl, the Higurashi victim, is like freaking out or something. The doc over there thinks it would help if you got over there right away."

"Let's head there now. No use putting it off."

"But we just got here," Saiko protested.

Jack responded with a hard-nosed glare at his partner, which Saiko clearly got the message. No arguments.

Finally reaching the hospital and eventually Kagome's room, Jack was immediately greeted with a sniveling, shaking Kagome. Several people were already there trying to calm the girl down. Jack really had to wonder what he just got himself into.

"Hey, Kagome, it's me. Look at me. Tell me what happened," he softly said.

"Shoukin (sniff) Shoukin (sniff), I'm pregnant," she whimpered.

Speechless. He shouldn't have gotten out of bed today.

oOo

_I wonder which of you saw that one coming._

_Ok, anyone who can tell me the translation to Jack's partner's name gets to have their name in the next chapter. And if you don't have a translator, then come on, just say it—hint, hint. _


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning**: Major manga chapter 518 spoiler in this chapter. Post-anime.

**Disclaimer: **I do not profit nor own Inuyasha and its characters.

**Chapter Seven: Nietzsche's White God**

"_At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time."---_from Friedrich Nietzsche

_"The Celts were fearless warriors because they wish to inculcate this as one of their leading tenets, that souls do not become extinct, but pass after death from one body to another..."–_from Julius Caesar

_**500 Years in the Past…**_

"Let us play a game, Sesshoumaru. After all, you killed the rest of my fun," quipped the ape-clad Naraku. The moon-soaked earth held its breath as two very distinct evils took their places. What would occur here would determine what the sun of tomorrow would see and maybe fear. One had to ponder, which were the lesser of two evils, both clad in shadows of white and moonlight.

"Games are beneath one of my station. Now, die!!" And with that, the great demon Lord charged after the distorted half-demon. But half way through his leap, Naraku revealed his true form and came at the lord with all his gruesome tentacles. Sesshoumaru quickly sliced through the barrage and dogged the remaining barbs that survived his searing swipes. Then, something truly frightening happened. Sesshoumaru smiled.

"This Sesshoumaru would think that you would have bettered your attacks, Naraku. But what could one expect from a worthless half-demon." The glint in Sesshoumaru's eyes did not go unnoticed by Naraku. The hanyou realized then that he had to speed up his plans, quickly. He had eluded the demon Lord for months now, and for a time, he was successful. But as the demon Lord continued to kill incarnation after incarnation with such brutal force, even he, the great strategist Naraku, knew how this was going to end, with his own death. So, he had to think of a way to take Sesshoumaru down with him.

"Ku, ku, ku…have you not realized my dear Lord where we are fighting. Do you think it coincidence that you found me here, the Dragon Realm Islands," he smoothed out as his miasma began flooding the area. Sesshoumaru responded by attacking the once upon a time thief with the powerful Bakusaiga. Naraku was apparently more foolish than Sesshoumaru once thought. Didn't the hanyou know the effects of his sword, he thought with much irritation.

After enough of the Bakusaiga's aura was absorbed by Naraku, the abominable hanyou would literally be eaten alive. There would be nothing left in the end. Perhaps, he was just trying to postpone the inevitable. This fight, the last day for one terror, was only the beginning, and the night had only reached its mid point.

Torn and tattered but still very much alive, Naraku looked to the stars and knew that it was time. He was going to die, but not without using his prized curse box first.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, what have the gods in store for you," he paused, "it is said that Taiyoukai have no reincarnations, that you only live once but almost forever." The defeated man pulled out an elaborately carved box and began to pray his carefully thought out curse, a curse that would truly make his enemy suffer.

Though it only took moments for the incantation to take place, Sesshoumaru was still not quick enough to kill the half-demon in time. A curse box was never something to be taken lightly. Usually, a single box would take years to make, carved under certain power points of the night and month until enough power accumulated in the object. As the Bakusaiga began devouring Naraku, Sesshoumaru heard the main part of the curse's text:

"_Let generation to generation pass your dark soul forward; let generation to generation pass your heritage to lesser man and youkai not…that which you loath, your house shall become…"_

And then Sesshoumaru knew what true fear really meant.

Sesshoumaru was not the hero of the story; he just wanted to restore honor to his name and house. A strange black and yellow aura shot out of the curse box and began enveloping the pyrrhic victor, and as Naraku disappeared from the night, never to see the break of the new sun, one could not help but notice the almost smile on his disintegrating face as oblivion became him.

While the last effects of the curse bound to him, Sesshoumaru looked at the disappearing ashes of the creature. He despised Naraku before but pure rage seemed to seep from his very pores against the dead thing. And then he saw it, a tiny black orb tainted with all the malice that once was Naraku. The Taiyoukai steadily got up from his knees and walked over to the artifact. Picking it up, he noticed that one shard was still missing. He wondered.

Using the jewel was beneath him, however, he knew what a curse box was, and he knew that only the jewel could undue such a powerful spell. He almost considered looking for the creator of the box, just to kill the fool who would thing to curse someone as great as himself. Yet, he would be damned before he let the spell take its full effect. Now, where could the last shard be, he mused. Grasping the black jewel, the sun gracing the not hero, the great white Lord walked away from the scene.

Because of the power struggle that took place here, no sane youkai would wander anywhere near this hauntingly eerie place for centuries to come. It was rumored that the soul of a very dark youkai wandered here seeking other youkai to devour their power. Others rumored said that this was sacred ground, and therefore, no youkai were capable of setting foot upon theses islands. And because of no youkai, humans multiplied upon this land. The prosperous islands were filled with so many human voices for centuries…until the land was hushed.

Naraku and Sesshoumaru hushed these lands for a single night, but human men silenced its kin for far much longer. The land was called…

Okinawa,

this land gave men of power the precedent to commit unspeakable crimes against both land and people…Japan would never be the same.

After some days of careful contemplation, the great Lord of the Western Lands knew where the last shard was. He also remembered certain activities that occurred at its current location as well. He closed his eyes to relive those moments. He now better understood his father—not that is really mattered in the greater scheme of things. He had already decided to use the jewel—not to increase his power but to rid himself of this loathe curse. Now, he had to pay a visit to a world beyond an old, dark well.

oOo

_And you thought I'd never bring him up :P_

_**Okinawa: "When you're doing research for a story, be absolutely certain of details. The Battle of Okinawa was held in 1945 and nearly destroyed the small island, and it was that battle which Truman used to justify dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both of which are north of Okinawa."--from Head Meet Desk review. Sorry, I made a HUGE error in the first draft and made the assumption of Okinawa being one of the two places where the atomic bombs were dropped. Sorry for the bad research. I should have looked it up and I didn't. BAD BAD Amadoni!!! Pounds head on desk...**_

_Friedrich Nietzsche: For the purposes of this story, all you need to know is that Nietzsche didn't believe in a god_.

_Oh, some info for you pseudo-researchers. There really is such a thing as a curse box. And the maker, Master Shaman (Yamakawa), and his family have lived in Okinawa for centuries. Don't believe me. Look it up. Here's the site: www(dot)cursebox(dot)com/pages/about(dot)html_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or profit from Inuyasha and its characters.

**Chapter Nine: Redemption of Devils**

"_Insanity, how you look upon me with your twisted smile and tainted eyes."—from a poem written by Genjuu-jin Shoukin. _

Tradition. Such is the way in Kyoto, even Shoukin knew this fact. Years ago, he made a promise with himself to never come back, to move on with his life. True, he lost everything, but it was a small price to pay for his freedom.

For the tenth time today, he had to remind himself why he was here, in his family's old home staring at the heirloom sword…with a hilt that spoke not of daydreams but of obvious fact. Yes, he was here to solve a case. He knew the idea was completely cliché. But his job was his life now. _She_ just happened to be part of that job. If it meant coming back here and facing that crazy bitch, so be it.

He didn't know what to expect when he entered through the main gate. Of course, he expected things to be the same. Despite a few modern facilities, he was certain that this place remained timeless in its refusal to escape away from the past. Then again, no one or thing can truly escape away from what they were.

A cold, gentle wind picked up and brushed against him. In its invisible path, followed the gold and red foliage of fall, it was beautiful. He paused and was encased in that moment. How could he have forgotten? She loved the wind, the fall, and…him. He will never understand why.

Shaking his head, he continued on, rather amused that none of the gardeners or maids stopped him. Smirking slightly, he knew that they knew who he was. Having white hair was a trademark to the Genjuu-jin family. Always. Always the first son had that distinct characteristic until now.

He passed by a small shrine to 'The Lost Sons.' Not lost, he thought, just dead. Shoukin's grandfather had no sons, only his mother. He was nearly sick again when he suspected why. Poison. They all died from poison. Mother was young, no one would suspect her. Shoukin knew her though; he knew better. She equated the white with evil.

oOo

"_Did you know that your dead uncles had white hair…"_

_Her breathe was hot against his ear and soured his nose with its odor. She was drunk. She was always drunk, but never was she this drunk. This time, he was actually acutely aware that he may not be able to get away from her without getting hurt and badly. _

"_I took care of that," she continued as she twirled a long strand of his pearlescent hair around her finger._

_Father wouldn't be home for hours. No escape. Looking at her, her face, her eyes, her smile, she went on,_

"_I should have known better and taken care of you too. Damn your father and his whore!"_

_She pinned him to the ground with her weight. Shoukin shut his eyes hoping that she would go away, that nothing bad would happen. He thought that he would die. _

_No, he started screaming when he heard the buzzing sound. She shaved his head instead. _

_She always hated white. _

oOo

She always had the face of insanity. He couldn't remember her any other way. Why was she that way, he often wondered. Granted, she calmed greatly when they came to live in Kyoto. He wondered if there was a connection.

It didn't matter now.

Here was the hilt to the sword that he saw. He knew that the subconscious had a ways of bringing things to the surface. He was hoping that by coming here he would find some answers. At this point, he would even be happy with any answer.

So engrossed in his thoughts, he hardly noticed the gentle footsteps coming towards him until they were practically echoing off the walls of the large room.

"Shoukin."

His tensing going unnoticed, he steadily turned around. She looked exactly the same, a refined Japanese woman wrapped in silk and lies. He hated her; he was certain now. Time only hardened his animosity for this woman. Her title was Mother; her actions were not.

"Mother."

"What brings you here."

He would not lie.

"A case I'm working on."

"Ah, a case…and what pray tell does staring at a wall have to do with," snapping her fingers, "how do you put it, solving a case," she finished.

He turned around again looking back at the sword. If he answered her questions quickly, she would leave.

"I believe this sword is related to a case that I'm working on."

She paused. But Shoukin could already feel the cold tension coming off of her.

"Shoukin…" How was it possible for such a word that was held in such contempt before be held in such care now. Ridiculous, he chided himself. He was only imagining it.

"Where do you think that you saw it before?"

He'd rather not lie, but he wasn't going to tell her that it was in some flashback-like daydream.

"At a shrine, near a well-house."

She said nothing, and this made him nervous, because she always said something, even if it was the wrong thing. It was the perfect time to leave. What was he thinking? He wouldn't get his answers here. He started leaving.

"Shoukin," he paused his steps, "do you remember that story I would tell you at bedtime?"

"The one about the demon Lord?"

"Yes…tell me what you remember."

He didn't know where she was going with this but decided to humor the woman.

"Once upon a time, a great demon Lord sought to conquer the entire land. The gods did not approve, because the gods decreed that demon's were not to rule the mortal plain, ever. Hoping to change the demon Lord's path, they gave him the lost Sword of Life, the sword that only had power through compassion. The demon Lord was a ruthless killer. Through this gift, the gods hoped that he would learn mercy.

He learned neither compassion nor mercy. Still, the gods, being just in their deeds, offered him a pure gift, thinking that this would change his path.

He treated the gift with indifference. Still, the gods were merciful and tried to change his path. And then one day, the great demon Lord did an unspeakable act against one of their sacred ones. The gods are just. In their justice, they cursed him. He lost all that he held important. His soul forever to wander this plain and never to find peace until forgiveness is given from this sacred one."

He finished the story wondering what was the point. True, it had a moral or two: don't fuck the gods. Karma was a bitch. Besides these, why did it matter?

She said nothing.

"What is the point, Mother?"

"One more story, Shoukin. Just one more," she paused again trying to find some clarity to her obviously troubled mind, "the story of Sesshoumaru and Kagome, tell me of her."

He gave a long sigh, but he had already come this far.

"Hair like the night.

Eyes like the sea.

She who protected

The four lights that be."

His mother smiled then, a truly genuine smile. But it quickly faded with her next words.

"Tell me what became of Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru died protecting her and their child, the Bright Hope, from a demon who wished to possess her and mark her as his own. The boy with white hair grew and became the first of the Genjuu-jin line."

Gracefully, Shoukin's mother walked up to him and tried to touch his face. He backed away eluding her. She smiled again, such a soft smile. It almost frightened him.

"White hair, Shoukin, white hair to cover a dark soul," she began, "even a dark soul seeks redemption, seeks forgiveness. The gods win in the end."

"What are you taking about," she was frustrating, "you're making absolutely no sense at all."

Looking straight into his eyes with her dark ones, she stated with absolute confidence,

"Sesshoumaru and the demon Lord are one in the same."

"You're insane," he shot back. He had had enough helping of crazy for one day. He was leaving.

"You forgot something, Shoukin."

He shot her a look that spoke of death if she continued. She acted unaffected,

"You should take the Bakusaiga. It may help you remember what you're looking for."

"I was under the impression that the sword was to stay on these grounds, never to be used and never to be touched by any member of the Genjuu-jin family, except the caretakers."

"And the caretakers of the sword are the first daughters, yes. I know this. And as the first daughter, I have the authority to let you…borrow it."

He wasn't buying it. She was up to something.

"Shoukin, if nothing else, it will help you solve your case," she walked over to the case, taking the sword, then walking over to her only son, "time, such a strange thing…the truth of history is often eroded by time."

Holding the sheathed sword before him, she continued,

"Take the sword. It's about time for it to be put to some use."

He took it and immediately regretted his action.


End file.
